This is a zine dedicated to death/thrash, technical and traditional death metal for more info contact hatredmeanswar@yahoo.com looking for new authors do to lack of time to cover everything email me at the email listed above if you want to do reviews and interviews for the blog.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

> 1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?>Iiro: Just recovering ourselves from the last fridays album release party! We're heading to Sweden tomorrow to play few gigs! Then a short break and back to business here in Finland. It's pretty much about the gigs, atl east for few months now..Maybe writing some new stuff at the beginning of '13!

> 2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Well..It's "Experimental"! We wanted to mix up "OldSkool" Thrashy style with some new elements..clean vocals, acoustic guitars, organs etc. With "Withdrawal Syndromes" We were still taking baby steps with those new elements, but in the future we might actually be more innovative with those things..We'll see!>> 3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores> with the new release?

Usually Pessis lyrics deal with death and stuff like that..but in "Withdrawal Syndromes" the scale is a lot more wider. The song "Soap" is about our friend, tattoo artist Tuoppi Latvala. And the song "Killing" is an epic adventure with Mel Gibson as the top banana. But most of the songs still deal with death, accepting death, and realising that eventually everybody is going to end up like that..one way or an other.>> 4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

I have no idea. It was Kalle or Pessi who came up with the idea. Had real hard times tryin' to learn how to spell or pronounce that. But it sounds cool..and it looks cool! And as far as I'm concerned we're the one and only band named "Retaliatory Measures". So it's at least individual if nothing else.>> 5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and> how would you describe your stage performance?

I really like performing abroad. Had some really great time when we went to Sweden the last time..and also the last Baltic tour was awesome! But with every show We're bearing down 100% and trying to make it memorable for the audience and ourselves. Our live show is pretty energetic and it's always easier to perform to audience that is reflecting that energy back to us somehow. Usually those shows where the audience is enjoying are the ones that can be considered as the best shows.>> 6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

So far we have few shows booked to sweden, a minor tour in baltic at the early 2013, and quite a bit of gigs here in Finland. Of course we're really looking forward to get more shows abroad! Would be really awesome to perform around europe and maybe U.S/Asia as well. So booking agencys and promoters in around the world, feel free to contact us ;)>> 7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by> fans of death and thrash metal?

The feedback so far has been really positive! Of course there's always some negative feedback as well and we were already prepared for that when we started to write "Withdrawal Syndromes". But making your own music should not be about pleasing the critics or tryin' to pander anybody. It's about doing stuff that You want to do..and that's exactly what we are doing! But anyhow, the feedback so far has been really positive and flattering! And it's really cool that people are really noticing those new elements that we've added to our stuff, and I'm pretty suprised that most of them are actually hoping that we'd use even more of those elements in our new material. Maybe..maybe not ;)

>> 8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

I have few other projects besides Retaliatory Measures. Some acoustic material with a few friends of mine and an other one with a bit more Hardcore/punk material. Marko is the bass player in Acoustic Folk/Rock band called "End Of August". And Pessi is the singer in Death metal band "Torture Killer", as far as I know they're currently working on some new material..So metal heads around the world, get ready!>> 9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Let's hope that it keeps evolving to bigger and better! We haven't started to write any new material yet so it's hard to say anything about the new direction..if there even is one. Maybe some more melodic parts and acoustic guitars..You know, for the ladies. ;)>> 10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your> newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I'm quoting myself for this one. We all take influences from very different style of music. That's one of the things that makes RM sound like RM. Pessi is into some dark stuff, Black metal, doom and some freaky white noise hissing. Janne's balls dropped when Pantera was the big deal, He also likes The haunted and At the gates. Kalle's deal is everything with rhythmic guitar riffs and melodies, The Crown, Soilwork..Ihsahn is also one of his favorites. Marko listens to all kinds of bands, lately Foo Figters and Muse have taken on his cd player. I myself have been listening to The Mars Volta, Misery Signals and The Ghost Of A thousand for the last few months.. So from metal to soft-rock, and everything between! But I'd say that for anyone of Us, it's not about just one band or one musician. If You listen to some band or song alot, the influence is already in You and it shows on Your playing in some level. Stupidest thing is to try sound or play like someone You idolize.>> 11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

We all do a lot of different things! Janne is a big time Hockey fan, Kalle plays volleyball, Pessi and Marko like to hit the gym on their spare time. I work as a bartender and do piercings at the local tattoo studio so there's not much time for me to do anything else besides work and the band. Of course everybody else has a day job aswell..unfortunately there's not that much of those big bucks to be made on the music business.>> 12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?>ahmn.. Sinatra quote should do the trick! "I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day"

Monday, October 29, 2012

Retailatory Measures are a band from Finland that plays a mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Withdrawal Measures" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine modern day thrash metal with death metal along with a good amount of melodic riffing as well as a brief use of soft and clean playing, while the lead guitars are more in the thrash vein when it comes to the guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are all deep death metal growls that have a thrash feeling to them as well as some high pitched screams in addition there is a brief use of clean singing being used on the last song, while the lyrics cover dark and violent themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Retailatory Measures are a very great sounding hybrid of modern day thrash and death metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Offering" "Pharynx" "Revulse" and "Since Nothing". RECOMMENDED BUY.

War Possession are a band from Greece that plays a very heavy and brutal form of old school death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Through The Ages" which was released by Hellthrasher Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some brutal sounding blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing t hat is coming out of the guitars, as for the sound effects they are only used on the first song and outro and bring the sounds of war to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast old school death metal riffs that are very heavy, brutal, raw and primitive sounding, while the lead guitars are very chaotic sounding death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are all deep death metal growls, while the lyrics cover Ancient Gods and War, as for the production it has a very dark, heavy and powerful sound that goes back to the early 90's death metal sound.

In my opinion War Possession are a very great sounding old school raw and primitive death metal band and if you are a f an of this musical genre, you should c heck out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "In The Shadow Of The Gods" and "World War Domination". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Engulfed are a band from Turkey that plays a very heavy and brutal form of blasphemous death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Through The Eternal Damnation" which was released by Hellthrasher Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of brutal sounding blast beats being thrown into the music, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast death metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal sounding, while the lead guitars are very dark and chaotic sounding death metal guitar solos and leads that utilize some melody.

Vocals a re mostly deep death metal growls with some high pitched screams being thrown into the music at times, while the lyrics cover dark, blasphemous and occult topics, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Engulfed are a very great sounding heavy, brutal, dark and blasphemous sounding death metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Summoned" and "Inseminated With Demon Seed". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Kaotik are a band from Quebec City, Canada that plays a mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Starving Death" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with not much in the way of blast beats, while t he bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine old school death metal with thrash, while the lead guitars are very melodic and early 90's sounding death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are mostly deep death metal growls with some high pitched s creams being t hrown into the music at times, while the lyrics cover violent and gore themes, as for the production it has a very old school, heavy, powerful and professional sound to it that goes back to the roots of death metal.

In my opinion Kaotik are a very great sounding hybrid of death and thrash metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "War At The Door" "Lobotomy" "Pesticide Shower" and "Inbreeding". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Beyond Mortal Dreams are a band from Australia that plays a very heavy and brutal form of death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Dreaming Death" which was released by Lavadome Productions.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some brutal sounding blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast death metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal sounding, while the lead guitars are very chaotic and melodic sounding death metal guitar solos and leads that h ave an epic feeling to them.

Vocals are mostly deep death metal growls that have an early 90's feeling to them along with some high pitched screams, while the lyrics cover dark and anti christian themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Beyond Mortal Dreams are a very great sounding heavy and brutal death metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Filth Of Their God" and "Beast Of Damnation" which is a Beherit cover. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Kamikabe are a band from Pennsylvania that plays a very heavy and brutal form of technical death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Aberration Of Man" which was released by Unique Leader Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of brutal sounding blast beats being thrown into the music, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast technical death metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal sounding with a more modern sound, while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very technical sounding guitar solos and leads that combine old school death metal with the more modern day sound, as for the classical guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to bring some darkness to the instrumental.

Vocals are mostly deep death metal growls that have somewhat of a hardcore feeling to them as well as some high pitched screams, while the lyrics cover the inevitable demise of mankind, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Kamikabe are a very great sounding heavy and brutal technical death metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE Leprous Divinity" "The Process Within" "Nefarious" and "Ungoliant". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Friday, October 19, 2012

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

First off , thank you & everyone at Variety of Death Zine for the interview. MaelstroM is currently wrapping up the pre-production of our debut album. The last minute drum edits are now being finished and all guitar, bass and keyboard lines have been demoed. Gary is busy tweaking the final lyrical and vocal ideas … everything is coming together really smoothly … this stuff writes itself.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer music and how it differs from previous recordings?

The material we're recording is actually music that was written between 1989 and 1992 … literally 20 years ago. It's part of the same concept as was our It Was Predestined EP. Those 3 songs were three chapters of the conceptual story that this debut album finishes… we're essentially completing the rest of the chapters now.

Of course these songs have been tweaked since their first incarnation 20 years ago, If someone goes on YouTube and checks out our first demos … the melodic and structural ideas were there … but we're executed like a bunch of 17 year olds on an analog tape. The musical and vocal maturity is going to be so evident when people check out these recording, especially when coupled with Fortin Amplification and Tue Madsen engineering.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Lyrically, Gary definitely writes fantasy driven material. He and I were both heavily into Dungeons and Dragons and Tolkien as kids. One thing I particularly like in Gary's writing is the huge amount of imagery it conveys. People have told me they actually feel like they're on a battlefield when listening to our stuff … and thats through a coupling of Gary's incredible imagination with my absolute obsession with epic film score composer James Horner. Thats how we try to approach this stuff. We definitely want to "Feel" something when listening to our stuff … and if others get it … great.

4. There was a demo released in 1991, and then there was not another one until 17 years later, what was going on during that hiatus?

After we released our second, now classic, demo "This Battle To Make History, Yet History Never Comes" in 1991 we continued writing, actually some of what I think is our BEST material was written then … but that will have to wait for the 2nd album :)

And then life simply kicked in, some members went off to college, some had to work full time to pay bills, couple that with the fact that we didn't wear flannels and sing like we had marbles in our mouth,

and it culminated in that classic metal band break up. No hard feeling at all, still great friends with each of the original members, but life just took over.

We also had a new drummer enter the MaelstroM fold at the time in the form of Elliot Hoffman. If you've never heard that name, you definitely will. He's the now in CarBomb and will be on the cover of an upcoming issue of Sick Drummer Magazine. Simply incredible phenomenon behind the kit. Elliot came in and definitely pushed our music into a more syncopated and "jazz odyssey" direction which eventually lead to, I guess what we can call, the official end of MaelstroM as we knew it. I knew it, Gary knew it. So it was best to call it a day then, while we still had nothing but pleasant memories of MaelstroM.

After that I played guitar in a variety of bands like the Frank Zappa inspired "Spooge", and cover bands that played classic Rainbow, Purple, Sabbath, Hendrix, and Zep stuff. In that 17 year interim I also became a Chiropractor, an Acupuncturist and now an MD … so been keeping myself a little busy. :) Gary in that time frame became one of the top creative designers at a major graphic arts/advertising company in the city - that imagination still hard at work.

But he and I both viewed MaelstroM not only with a sense of nostalgia but also honestly as, unfinished business … because we knew we had some great stuff that we REALLY wanted to hear again, especially now with todays production capabilities. And that's a recurring theme that you'll probably hear from Gary and I all the time … it's stuff that we want to hear. We both have successful careers going, so this obviously isn't for the money. We wanted to recreate

MaelstroM in the form of the band that we always wanted to hear, what we both thought it should have been in the first place.

And then a gentleman named Roman at FORGOTTEN STEEL wrote THE review of our 2nd demo that inspired Gary and I to start this all over again. You could check it out here if you'd like:

We were first called "Insurrection" for our first few shows in '88, then either there was another band named that or we were getting too many "Erection" jokes at school, so we decided to come up with another name. I think we all wrote down like 5 names, and Gary's folks and our bass player, Jon Modell's father came up with "MaelstroM" .. it was the only name to appear twice on our lists so we went with that. I came up with some ridiculous names, like "Burning Cauldron" or "Flaming Sword" or something … which is why Gary writes the lyrics.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We'll the last showed MaelstroM played was back in 92' … I've obviously played out a ton after that with different bands, but my hands down Favorite show with Gary was April 8, 1989 at Hammer Hedz in Elmont, NY. The line up was Demolition Hammer, Cold Steel, and MaelstroM. Hammer Hedz was a small club that was well known on LI, Dream Theatre used to play there when they were Majesty, it was a small but great place with a legal occupancy limit of like 130 people.

On that Sunday, April 8th show over 450 people showed up, peoplewere literally stacked on top of each other, the place was packed to the hilt and each band sounded great that night. That was one of the shows that set MaelstroM on its way as being one of the top drawers in the Long Island Metal Scene. We actually were named the top drawing act for both 89' and 90' at that club, winning a contest there, which helped pay for our 2nd demo.

Another great show I remember was with Suffocation at Long Islands's Sundance in Bay Shore probably in 1990. It was Suffo's very first show!!!!, and we were all really great friends back then. Still in touch with some of the guys, awesome to see how far they've come in the extreme metal scene, which they helped create.

7. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

Right now all time and efforts are focused on finishing the debut album … its now been over 20 years in the making and it won't wait any longer. After that is unleashed, we're definitely considering doing some shows if the timing and opportunity is right.

8. Recently Itchy Metal Entertain ment re-issued your 2008 demo, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe

the support that they have given you so far?

That was all Gary. He was following Itchy Metal and their founder Ed Fassio for a while before he reached out to them. They had a very different take on the scene as far as promotion goes, especially with the advent of social media sites being a part of our everyday lives. Ed's a great guy with a great vision, is behind us 110%, and we're more than happy to have him in our corner. Ed at Itchy and Scott at Clawhammer PR are really putting their everything behind us!! It's great!

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?

MaelstroM's stuff is getting embraced beyond wildest hopes right now. We're getting killer reviews, great gig opportunities, plays on some great Metal radio and internet stations, and our FaceBook page is nearing 40,000 fans as of this writing. It's really amazing.

I think what draws people to the band, besides our music, is the story behind the band. That we were just a couple of kids from Long Island who had a dream of being in a killer metal band, emulating our heroes, just like all kids do … but then life and responsibilities took over and now 20 years later … those kids have reformed to complete their dream and are here to deliver a great musical statement. Someone should make this into a movie. :)

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

More melodic, more cinematic, and more beautiful and more brutal.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

James Horner, the composer, is a major influence on me. His "Wrath Of Khan" soundtrack is absolute required listening as far as I'm concerned. Classical music, particularly Bach, is always so great to list to. I've also been a huge fan of Coltrane ... Giant Steps is such an incredible album.

A beyond Classic band that I keep rediscovering is Rainbow. What more can you say? Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio, nuff said! Incredible. Stargazer = required listening.

As far as newer bands, I really like BTBAM, Winds, and Gojira … I got to hang out with Joe-jira at their recent show with CarBomb at Webster Hall, NY. Great band, great guys. Very catchy.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Medicine is obviously a big part of my life, being a doctor. Keeping up to date with all the brilliant strides made in modern medicine today, its really amazing stuff. I also couple that with one foot firmly planted in traditional Chinese and herbal medicine … in a way I guess its the same way I approach music. It's amazing to get all these incredible modern guitar techniques under your fingers like sweeping and multi-finger tapping and stuff, but if you can't really grasp a Robert Johnson blues … your not a complete player.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks so much again for the opportunity and for helping MaelstroM reach a wider audience. You guys rule!! And everyone, get yourself ready for the debut MaelstroM album to hit … 20 years in the making!!! It's going to be a metal classic!!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Plector are a band from Sweden that plays a mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Punishment Day" which was released by Discouraged Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown into the music at times, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine 80's style thrash with early 90's death metal along with some modern metal elements being thrown into the riffing at times, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic sounding thrash metal guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to bring in some darkness to the music.

Vocals range from thrash style vocals to deep death metal growls as well as a brief use of high pitched screams, while the lyrics cover violent, hateful and everyday themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Plector are a very great sounding hybrid of thrash and death metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Overthrown" "To Be Punished" "Take The Hit" and "Devotion". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before/

Depopulate as a full piece has been playing since 2009. Since that time our music was included on few compilations and we’ve released our debut EP “Till Man Exists No More”. We also had an opportunity to play quite a lot of concerts but only inside the boarders of Poland.

How would you describe your musical sound?

Our music can be considered as new school death metal with brutal and technical influences. They say that we have more in common with the big ones from US, like Dying Fetus, Suffocation etc. than with our domestic Polish sound.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

All of the lyrics were written by our vocalist, Kostek. They refer to gory climate of B-class horrors and similar stuff but it isn’t anything like a strict topic and it doesn’t mean that we stick only to it.

I have read that the band started out as Eviscerated, what was the cause of the name change and also what is the meaning and inspiration behind the new band name?

Eviscerated changed its name to Depopulate simply because of the numerous bands with this name. Depopulate is one of the Vile’s records but it wasn’t the reason why we chose it. It’s just a really strong and brutal name and in our opinion it suits our music really good.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We had an opportunity to play with bands such as Parricide, Neolith, Nuclear Vomit, Itself, Throneum, Embrional, Banisher and this is only a tip of the mountain. We really enjoy playing live and it is probably the best thing about being in a band.

Do you have any touring plans for the future?

We have like 5 shows booked later this year. We are always open for any propositions when it comes to concerts and we are eager to play as often as possible.

Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so, what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the band?

We hadn’t searched for any label before releasing “Till Man Exists No More” because we really wanted to get people familiar with Depopulate and put it on the internet for free. It would be great to have someone supporting us promotionally and financially in the future. Time will show if it happens someday.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

We got some good reviews from different parts of the world like Indonesia, Spain, UK, US, Mexico, Brasil and others. Generally the response for the material is positive and it really fuels us up. We’ll try to make our next record twice as good.

Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Our drummer, Jack plays in another band called Unanswered. They are currently putting their first record together. I have some ideas for another project but for the time being Depopulate is full time job and other things have to wait.

What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Probably we will head in direction we’ve taken on “Till Man Exists No More” but for sure we won’t be copying our own ideas. New songs that are already finished may be considered more complex and aggressive. They contain lots of guitar dissonances and stuff like this. We want to come up with a record where one idea leads to another, together making an impression of one solid piece.

What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We are really keen on brutal and technical stuff, mainly from US but the amount of different things we listen to is much bigger. We’re also highly influenced by Polish bands like Decapitated, Deivos, Vader etc. Our vocalist Kostek loves old school Swedish stuff and I am a maniac of Russian slam. Currently I’m listening to new records of Masachist, Cattle Decapitation, Antigama, Abominable Putridity, Cryptopsy and The Faceless over and over again. All of those are killers for me.

Outside of music what are some of your interests?

We’re all students and it consumes a lot of our time but when we’re free we usually just hang out with friends on concerts or parties. We all like to drink up and do some dumb shit. Nothing surprising here.

Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for the talk. For all those who are hearing about Depopulate - download our EP, get familiar with our music and check us playing live if you have a possibility. Stay tuned because this isn’t our last word!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Skeletal Remains are a band from California that plays a very raw and primitive form of old school death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Beyond The Flesh" which was released by FDA Rekotz.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown into t he music at times, while the bass playing h as a very strong and powerful sound with heavy riffing that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast old school death metal riffs that are very raw and primitive sounding in the mid 80's to early 90's tradition, while the lead guitars are very old school sounding death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are all deep death metal growls that are very easy to understand, while t he lyrics cover death and gore themes, as for t he production it has a very old school death metal sound with mid 80's to early 90's style production.

In my opinion Skeletal Remains are a very great sounding old school death metal band and if you are a f an of t his musical genre, you should c heck out t his recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Desolated Isolation" "Traumatic Existence" "Homicidal Pulchritude" and "Disincarnated" which is a Gorguts cover. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

There is really much going on these days, we are releasing the album oktober the 12th, we have recorded a video for one track that are being released any day now. On top of that are we focusing on booking shows for next year.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

This release is much more “in your face” and got a bigger sound, being more experimental would not be the right word for it, but we are showing of the confidence we´ve got in recording whatever we like, letting the Daemonicus sound evolve like the dieses it is..

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

Death, of course, is one of the themes. Either it´s brought up in the way of zombification or molestation, death is a theme everyone can relate to.

But we sometimes have a unspoken meaning to the lyrics, like in “The Hymn of Ubo Sathla” for example, that song is written in metaphors of something else than only the things spoken of. Actually it´s a perfect track for a video in the future!

On top of that we are against all religious insanity in the world of course..

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The meaning is possessed by demons, the truth told, we´ve all got them when the doors are closed and the light is turned of. Playing live they come out, that’s the inspiration.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We are very energic, outwardly and live addicts, it’s the reason playing music in my opinion and we are really good at it. Our records are also ways of spreading our music so that we can play more live beyond bringing the listener quality death metal from Sweden.

We made a tour in the Balkans with Christ Agony this spring that were really fucking great over all, really great veterans from Poland. The biggest show was opening for Asphyx in Bucharest, it was an awesome event and a big crowd that was wild, the guys in Asphyx was great.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Actually that what’s on top of our agenda right now, the bookings are midway right now. So yes, we are might just be going on a tour in a while. We´ve got inquiries from Australia, but nothing is set just yet. On top of course is the States, we are looking for a serious booking agency in USA being able to bring our music overseas. Our record label Abyss is a great support to us in this work also.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

The feedback have been really good, those who have made reviews and listened to the released track of our forthcoming album seem to like it just as much as we do. Everyone that´s seen us live tell us that’s the element to bring this kind of music on top, I could not agree more. We have regular contact with fans from all parts of the world, and summarized they love the way we taken classic Swedish death metal seriously and constructed a sound without copying, just letting ourselves being inspired by.

8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

We all have other projects beside this, it´s important to try different things to be able to evolve. All are in different degree of seriousness.

PO and Jörgen (guitarists) - “Sanity of Empiety”.

Martin (bass) - “Hate Ammo”.

Johan (drums) - “Flagellant”.

and I´ve got a yet unnamed trash/death project with PO.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We will furthermore lose some boundaries, get doomy darker and somewhat faster. But I’ve got a comforting promise, we will never let ourselves soften up, we´ll rather smash the music in the listeners face.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Old Swedish death metal like Entombed and Dismember of course, and American bands like Death, Obituary, Deicide and Testament. Right now Asphyx, Feral, Entrails and Nile is put on repeat at my place.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Is there a life besides music? Haha!

Some of us got children, they take a big part of the free time. Personally spend a whole lot of time in the garage, building on a motorcycle, a perfect time for listening to some new music.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Keep your eyes open for more Daemonicus news, join our facebook group were we are going to be more attendant in the future. And never hesitate contacting us, we will answer.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Monsterworks are a band from New Zealand that has been featured before in this zine with a musical style that combines death, thrash and power metal together and this is a review of their 2012 digital release Man : Intrinsic" which was released by Mortal Music.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with not much in the way of blast beats, while the bass playing has a dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine death, thrash, power metal and stoner rock together to create a sound of their own along with a good amount of melody being thrown into the riffing, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads that have a 70's rock feeling to them, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to add more variety to the music.

Vocals range from deep death metal growls, thrash screams and clean singing that combine power metal and stoner rock together as well as a brief use of spoken word samples, while the lyrics cover philosophical themes, as for t he production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this is another great recording from Monsterworks and if you are a f an of t his band, you should c heck out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Taste of Doom". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Maelstorm are a band from Long Beach, New York that plays a mixture of death, thrash, power and prog metal and this is a re-issue of their 2008 demo "It Was Predestined" which was released by Itchy Metal Entertainment.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with not much in the way of blast beats, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone with heavy riffing that dominates throughout the recording, as for the synths when they are utilized they bring a very atmospheric and epic sound to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine thrash, death, power and prog metal to create a sound of their own along with a good amount of melody being thrown into the riffing, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding power/prog metal guitar solos and leads, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use full chords and finger picking that have a feeling of a Spanish guitar.

Vocals range from deep death metal growls, thrash screams, clean singing power metal vocals with some female back ups being utilized at times, while the lyrics cover dark themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound for being a demo and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Maelstorm are a very great sounding hybrid of death, thrash, power and prog metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACK "A Futile Crusade". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

A.P. - The concept of INSEPULTO started around 17 years ago, as a reunion of 3 locals bands. But since logistics were so hard, the "band", so to speak, was put on hiatus right after the first photo session. I started playing in other bands and lost contact with both, U.Xerxes.H and Ronald, in the mid 90's. In 2008, U.Xerxes.H and me got in contact again. I showed him some ideas I had laying around and he encouraged me put them all into songs. So right after I had all of them done, we started to look for a vocalist. Coincidentally, I met Ronald again in a local "Metal Bar" and he agreed to be part of the project. So, there you go: 3 old members of the local underground reunited under the same concept it was created: Death Metal.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

A.P. - Just like I stated above, INSEPULTO is a Death Metal band. We are "old-timers". We have been into Heavy metal for quite some time and we share a musical taste. Our influences are too many to mention, but we try to do our best creating music we like. In my case, as the "man behind the music", I could say our sound is based in the early/mid-90's British Death Metal: Intense, heavy and raw; those are the key words to the sound we agreed on playing and recording. Obviously, we are also influenced by the South American and Florida styles of that same era. But we try to add our own twist to it. I absolutely hate the "Old School" tag, even though that could be the first thing other people will think when listening to us. To me, those bands
that are commonly tagged as "Old School" were/are the bands that I started listening to and I still enjoy, for the lack of new music with the same attitude. Their music is timeless. And we hope our music reaches that same status, eventually.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Ronald – Well...at this point I must say that the majority of the lyrics on the album were written by me, actually 9 out of 10. So having that said, I can tell you that from the very beginning I wanted to write about topics related with death metal…you know for example in the case of “Sumerian Throne of Evil” I thought it would be cool to write about such an ancient civilization giving it a certain feeling of paganism. Other song with the same characteristic is “Orthodox” that wanted it to deal with some sort of twisted romance from a pervert point of view…one of my favorites is “Religious Pedophile” which as the title suggests, goes against the abuses perpetrated by priests against children…on the other hand I wanted to write something more related with the three of us as a band…so you can see tracks like “Insepulto – The Devilish Enthronement” speaking of what we are as a band and entity. In the case of the opening track “Epitome of Rigor Mortis” I wanted to make a lyric mentioning something about the three bands that are related with the origins of Insepulto, so that’s why I mention Paganus Doctrina in certain moments because that’s from where Gilbert comes and also Colemesis where Alfonso contributed especially on the “Post Biosis” demo…also I bring back the title “Grotesque Genital Dismemberment” which was a promo tape Alfonso & I recorded in 1993 when we were part of Pseudostratiffied Epithelium. Pretty much the same line with “The Posthumous Trintiy” where the posthumous trinity are the three of us, here I simply attack the fake people infesting the scene with their poser attitudes…so as you can see…I like to put some little clues and references of elements that have some meaning for us.

U.Xerxes.H – In my case, I only contributed with lyrics for “Illumination through flagellation” and it deals mostly with my views on Satanism and perceiving flagellation as the daily crap you get into while living in this society, such way serves for your eyes to see and ears to hear, it is kind of realizing of who you actually are, testing yourself by will into difficult situations, which is in some sort related to the philosophical side of Satanism in practice.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

A.P. - INSEPULTO is an Spanish word for "Unburied". The name was conceived by the guy who originally came up with the idea of putting together the 3 local bands we were once members of. Going back to that name, since it was never used, seemed the to be obvious choice for us. The concept remains intact. As of today, we all have our current bands (Paganus Doctrina, Mummified,
Ashen Sky/Lacerate) but we want to play our music,"our version of", dare I say, of Death Metal.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

U.Xerxes.H – Interesting is the fact we’ve never played live with this band. The way it came to live was more of a studio project since the three of us have their own all consuming time bands so we just had in mind to deliver something which all we worship and that is traditional Death Metal to the core. However, I personally have that thirst to bring this band on a stage performance but I don’t know when this will happen due to our personal schedules must match perfectly to taking in account such important aspect and besides we need to find suitable session musicians for that matter and I think that will be the very hard task to accomplish.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

U.Xerxes.H – Touring for us at this point of our lives would be really difficult. As I told you we’ve never played live so far and we have to match very well our personal schedules to do so in order to bring the right energy to bring this band into a stage performance. I personally would love to play some gigs with Insepulto because it would be a blast having all those crazy maniacs crushing their skulls to the stage at the beat of our death metal attack. But we need to evaluate certain aspects merely regarded to our personal lives if we can or not in a sooner time to bring this band on stage and certainly, that is something I’m looking forward to experience myself.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by death metal fans?

Ronald - It has been really good indeed…I mean, we are receiving continuous feedback from different places saying that the album is really well structured and conceived. I feel certain pattern that so far has been consistently appearing and it is that Insepulto is not another clone band of the early 90s Swedish sound…which really makes me feel very pleased because it says we have been able to develop, at least in this record, certain own sound and style which is nothing else but our interpretation of what this music should be based in our experiences over the past two decades…

U.Xerxes.H – Honestly, the feedback so far has been really impressive since none of us had in mind to have such great response on reviews and interviews. You see, we did this just for the pure fun of it, having a really cool time doing some songs that could evoke to us that hell raising hysteria we lived back in the early golden days of Death Metal and there were no other interests than that one. At the end, it seems to be that we actually came up with something deadly serious to the point some death bangers and media in general has known to appreciate very well and that will serve us as a push up to write new stuff and still getting fun with this music we so much love.

A.P. - Surprisingly good. I mean, if someone should've told me 6 years ago that all these ideas I had laying around would become songs and that these songs would be part of an album with such good reviews worldwide, I would've laugh hysterically. As many other musicians/artists out there, I make music to satisfy my own self first. I am kinda egocentric when it comes down to what I play. Crazy enough, Ronald and U.Xerxes.H liked what I came up with. So, having all these reviewers and friends and other people say that they also liked what we do is just incredible.

8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

Ronald – In my case I have my own band called MUMMIFIED, which even when it is death metal also, it is completely different to INSEPULTO, with this band we released our debut album last year through the Russian Label Nihil Art Records, it’s called “Embalming the Nazarene” and shows a more cryptic and obscure form of death metal. Now we are currently recording two new songs for a potential 7” ep to be called “Impious Necrolatry” where things have turned out even slower and heavier bordering the edge between Death/Doom metal. If you want to give it a listen…go here HYPERLINK "http://mummified.stereokiller.com/" http://mummified.stereokiller.com/

U.Xerxes.H – PAGANUS DOCTRINA is my main priority as about music is concerned. We are now waiting for our label Ashen Productions (Austria) to release formally our debut album “Omnipotense Aeternae Diabolous” and right now I’m in the works of three new songs although I don’t know when their recording will take place. We play fast Black Death Metal with some slow marching segments. Think in mixing bands like Mystifier, early Mayhem, early Marduk, early Morbid Angel and Sarcófago into one monolithic own expression of extreme black metal. You can check some advances in Youtube for that matter and more information about us can be found in HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/paganusdoctrina" www.myspace.com/paganusdoctrina .

A.P. - Even though I have my regular life to live, I always manage myself time for music. For me, music is an outburst, a way of expressing myself. So, as of now, my main band, where I play guitar, is CRIMSON NOISE. A alternative rock/metal band I have been a member of for 6-7 years. We put out our debut EP independently a couple months ago. I also help my good friend Fabian's band COLEMESIS. I used to be a member, but I just don't have the time. So now I am somewhat of session member/composer/producer. I also have my Thrash Metal band/project ASHEN SKY. The debut album is ready, but it has been on stand by for some time because I can't seem to find a suitable vocalist. But I hope I can put it out sometime next year. And my latest project is LACERATE. I put out a demo with me playing all the instruments + vocals way back in 1992. And recently, an editor of a local zine (who happens to be a friend of mine) had me unearth that tape. So I decided to resurrect the project, again as a one-man-band. But this time, instead of the Gore/Grind I used to play, I am putting out a 9 song, 20 min EP, full of good old Grindcore/Crust mixed with Death Metal. The songs are ready, the music is ready. And since I can't sing/growl/scream, I am having guest vocalists for every song. All good friends/acquaintances in the local scene. We'll see who this one turns out. You can listen to some clips here: HYPERLINK "http://www.facebook.com/laceratecr" \t "_blank" www.facebook.com/laceratecr

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Ronald – Hmmm…there are 3 new songs that Alfonso has already composed for what would be our next work, I can say that these ones are really cool, emphasizing that crushing death metal vibe we so much like. On the other hand, seems like Gilbert wants to contribute with some music next time, and based on that, I feel we can see kind of a devilish approach being incorporated in the next songs. At the end, I think we will keep focused on our orthodox vision of Death Metal…simple as that.

A.P. - Musical direction. Such an obtuse term, ha ha ha. As Ronald stated above, I have 2 or 3 songs ready for our next release, whatever it may be. Maybe these new songs stay close to the ones featured in "MSOR". Anyway, I really want to exploit one of my fave sub-genres: Doom Metal. I want the new songs to be massive, dense and raw, incorporating our usual mid-paced style with some blast beats here and there. Or maybe not. I never sit down to write songs. They come off the top of my head, basically anywhere. I just don't like to stick to the same formula. There is also a huge plus this time; both Ronald and U.Xerxes.H will be collaborating more with the music and lyrics.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music heading into on future releases?

Ronald – Oh man…I listen too many things…hard to say which ones have influenced me for Insepulto in particular, however I can say that I am a confessed worshiper of the early 90s finish death metal school, let’s say Abhorrence, Rippikoulu, Depravity, Demilich, Demigod, Xysma (before wimping out!!!), Purtenance…and more recently, this 2nd wave that has absolutely amazing bands such as Krypts, Stench of Decay, Ascended, Swallowed…etc. But I this doesn’t mean that I limit my taste to that particular approach, I am very much into the US mid 90s movement where Sadistic Intent, Skeleton of God, Horror of Horrors, Killing Addiction, Morgue, Desciples of Mockery among many others are among my favorites. Also I could cite bands from exotic places that have impacted me so much like Abramelin from Australia, Horgkomostropus from Honduras, Burial Invocation from Turkey…and well…many many more…you know this is the typical theme for a drinks table with your friends…you can keep talking and talking for hours…ja ja ja

A.P. - There are so many bands/albums that have influenced me that it would be ridiculous to come up with a list. Let's say
that my favorite "eras" are the 80's Bay Area Thrash movement, the British Death Metal/Crust/Grindcore movement and the late 80's Brazilian Scene. Logic reads that also the NWOSDM and Florida's Death Metal have been an endless source of inspiration. For INSEPULTO, I think we will "grow backwards" into the past. We are not a retro band; we just pay homage to the music that marked our lives as persons, musicians and metal heads. I think we can come up with some pretty dense stuff in the future, just for the sake of it.

11. How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?

Ronald – Gilberth…make yourself confortable…

A.P. - I have spent a lot of time reading about beliefs, religion, cults and the likes. I've read enough to ignore the mental slavery that most people call religion. But I am no atheist either, as I've come to believe that there is an endless source of energy that drives this ever expanding cosmos. Alas, one needs to look inwards instead of outwards. The search for your personal enlightenment should be carried away with the means you deem necessary, without altering the balance of the universe or affecting any other beings, material or not. Certain currents in Satanism and Occultism share some, but not all, of these views.

U.Xerxes.H – Thanks Ronald! Well, as you can notice I’m the only self declared Satanist in the band and that means that Insepulto isn’t a Satanic band in its whole line up. I do write about Satanism only in my lyrics but that does not mean the band should stand entirely by this personal view of mine. In any case, these topics are more in depth focused in my other band PAGANUS DOCTRINA. To me, Satanism through Occultism stands on a personal journey of gnosis and at the same time trying to accomplish a certain degree of liberation in its process of Theosis. It is a multidimensional path of possibilities that can bring the best of yourself into the practice of what you by nature are capable to achieve, bounded to the laws of cosmic energy yet respecting those who think differently to you. There is a wrong view that seems to prevail in the underground about seeing Satanism as some sort of intolerant and dominating dogma upon others and that is absolutely wrong because at the end it would turn exactly into the other currents such Christianity just to name the most famous in Black Metal. But the real thing here, is the fact this is something up to the individual and it has nothing to do with a gregarious thought or trying to pursue a Satanic “community”. That is something too ridiculous to think. However, I stand also on terms of faith and I do also consider Satanism as a way to connect yourself with energies or forces unknown yet to the human eye that at the same time provides a sense of divinity and a need to balance yourself with those energies.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Ronald – in my case…I am married and I have kid 6 years old named Braulio….most of the time is consumed by this family role, so when I have free time, I dedicate it entirely to the music. I am huge fan of collecting metal, so I destine some time per month to review catalogues and bring some cool stuff I may find. Also I am contributor in Voices from the Darkside where I post reviews, and before that I was carrying overall responsibilities at Archaic Magazine before it passed away early this year. One thing I like, now that I think of, is drawing logos…yeah…for example my first band logo was drawn by myself, the same with the Mummified logo, currently I am drawing the design of our EP legend “Impious Necrolatry” to be used as part of the cover!

U.Xerxes.H – I don’t have kids yet. So, my life is almost consumed by my work as building and houses’s constructor and soon to get my formal degree in Architecture. Besides, my life is almost dedicated to Metal Music, I have my fanzine called CALL TO THE INFERNAL HORDES which I’ve released 7 issues so far and it is a printed media by the way. There is my other band PAGANUS DOCTRINA which takes most of my energy regarding writing songs is concerned and I’m now in the plans to work with some other guys into a new studio project framed into a more traditional second wave black metal band we still don’t have a name and we are barely writing some ideas for the songs.

A.P. - Family, Music, Job. I'm also married and my daughter just turned 1 year old. My wife and her are my Light Beings, to whom I try to dedicate most of the time. I also spend the evenings listening and analyzing my favorite records, since I am a frustrated producer/recording engineer. My share of journalism is doing interviews and reviews for the almighty Voices from the Darkside webzine (Hi Frank!). I also rehearse with my other band and we play live shows twice or thrice a month. You can say most of my time is pretty tied up, I guess.

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Ronald – Thanks to you my friend, thanks to the maniacs out there who took the time to read this conversation, a humble advice from your friend The Master Butcher would be to simply stay away from any mainstream conception, nothing is more antagonist to death metal principles than applying worldwide commercial marketing concepts to this music, mainstream is a distortional vision where glamour and pose are more important than the essence of what you do…mainstream measures success in terms of likes at Facebook level, in terms of fans, in terms of public at a show….but if you look back, you will discover a bunch of killer bands that were for real…amazing records that helped to shape the overall’s genre identity…so…don’t get satisfied listening the same crappy bands everyone does…go ahead and search for the past…I can assure you that I have given this tip to several friends and well they always come back saying…shit man…you were right there are so many killer bands that I never knew of…we have cited several ones through this conversation…but the one thing is for sure…the first you need to check out is INSEPULTO for sure….stay Mummified!!!....c’ya…

U.Xerxes.H – Thanks for the chat man, it was really cool indeed. From my behalf I just want to say that if by any means we get bigger you’ll take note that we will ALWAYS be loyal to the underground attitude and that means to have that sense of humbleness with all those who write us and support us. The Rock Star tag won’t be something never to be expected from us. We are just head bangers creating music for other head bangers. Staying into the underground where most of the honestly and respect lies today in extreme music is our personal GOAL! AMSG!

A.P. - Thank you very much for your support. Interviews are always welcomed; they are fun to answer to. I also want to thank our label, the people that have taken their time to review our album and the people that have shown interest in our music and band. Respect goes out to you all. Laters.